Freddie's Focus
For Parents & Carers
- Issue 178
- November 6, 2026
Freddie's Focus
For Parents & Carers
- Issue 178
- November 6, 2026
Message from the Headteacher
Dear Parents & Carers,
As we begin a new half-term, it is a good opportunity to refocus on the basics that make the biggest difference to children’s success: excellent attendance, punctuality, positive behaviour and a strong commitment to learning.
The importance of attendance cannot be overstated. Our analysis of outcomes for the Class of 2026 shows a striking relationship between attendance and achievement:
| Attendance Group | % Achieving English & Maths 4+ | % Achieving English & Maths 5+ | Progress 8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Above 95% attendance (146 students) | 82% | 62% | 5.4 |
| 90% to 95% attendance (45 students) | 60% | 47% | 4.6 |
| Below 90% attendance (57 students) | 42% | 21% | 3.3 |
The message is clear. Students attending school regularly were nearly twice as likely to achieve a Grade 5 or above in both English and Maths than those whose attendance fell below 90%. They also achieved significantly stronger Attainment 8 scores across their subjects.
Every lesson matters, every day counts, and small improvements in attendance can make a significant difference over time. As we start this new half term, we ask all families to continue supporting strong attendance wherever possible so that every child can make the most of the opportunities available to them.
Mr Davies.
Message from the Headteacher
Dear Parents & Carers,
As we begin a new half-term, it is a good opportunity to refocus on the basics that make the biggest difference to children’s success: excellent attendance, punctuality, positive behaviour and a strong commitment to learning.
The importance of attendance cannot be overstated. Our analysis of outcomes for the Class of 2026 shows a striking relationship between attendance and achievement:
The message is clear. Students attending school regularly were nearly twice as likely to achieve a Grade 5 or above in both English and Maths than those whose attendance fell below 90%. They also achieved significantly stronger Attainment 8 scores across their subjects.
Every lesson matters, every day counts, and small improvements in attendance can make a significant difference over time. As we start this new half term, we ask all families to continue supporting strong attendance wherever possible so that every child can make the most of the opportunities available to them.
Mr Davies.
Message from the Headteacher
Dear Parents & Carers,
As we begin a new half-term, it is a good opportunity to refocus on the basics that make the biggest difference to children’s success: excellent attendance, punctuality, positive behaviour and a strong commitment to learning.
The importance of attendance cannot be overstated. Our analysis of outcomes for the Class of 2026 shows a striking relationship between attendance and achievement:
| Attendance Group | % Achieving English & Maths 4+ | % Achieving English & Maths 5+ | Progress 8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Above 95% attendance (146 students) | 82% | 62% | 5.4 |
| 90% to 95% attendance (45 students) | 60% | 47% | 4.6 |
| Below 90% attendance (57 students) | 42% | 21% | 3.3 |
The message is clear. Students attending school regularly were nearly twice as likely to achieve a Grade 5 or above in both English and Maths than those whose attendance fell below 90%. They also achieved significantly stronger Attainment 8 scores across their subjects.
Every lesson matters, every day counts, and small improvements in attendance can make a significant difference over time. As we start this new half term, we ask all families to continue supporting strong attendance wherever possible so that every child can make the most of the opportunities available to them.
Mr Davies.
Things to celebrate
- On Tuesday we held a ceremony to unveil a Poppy Waterfall at the front of school. The event was attended by representatives of the Royal British Legion and was a fitting way to commence our remembrance commemoration.
- This week our Year 7 students have attended our annual Winmarleigh trip. This is a wonderful opportunity for our new students to really get to know one another and take part in a huge variety of team building activities.
- Over the half-term a group of our History students went on the Belgium trip. A wonderful time was had by all.
- On Thursday, a group of Key Stage 4 students departed for the London Business Trip. We wish them a successful and insightful few days.
- Sporting Success this week
A warm welcome back to all students, staff and families. It has been fantastic to see so many of our students representing both school and club teams at such a high level over the past week.
The Year 10 and 11 Girls’ Football Team were also in action this week, competing against Standish High School and St Peter’s High School. The girls produced two excellent performances, securing one victory and narrowly losing the other. Their commitment, resilience and teamwork continue to be a credit to the school.
- Theo Dickinson (Year 9) – Player of the Year
- Alfie Soulsby (Year 9) – Bowler of the Year
- Elise Norman (Year 9) – Most Improved Player of the Year These awards reflect their dedication, hard work and performances throughout the season.
Well done to all three students on their fantastic achievements.
Well done to all students mentioned this week. We are incredibly proud of your achievements and look forward to celebrating more sporting success in the weeks ahead.
We are always excited to learn of any sporting successes outside of school so we can celebrate the student’s achievements. Please email Mr Gregory with any information so we can share with everyone on Freddie’s Focus – gregoryi@flhs.wigan.sch.uk
Sporting Success this week
A warm welcome back to all students, staff and families. It has been fantastic to see so many of our students representing both school and club teams at such a high level over the past week.
The Year 10 and 11 Girls’ Football Team were also in action this week, competing against Standish High School and St Peter’s High School. The girls produced two excellent performances, securing one victory and narrowly losing the other. Their commitment, resilience and teamwork continue to be a credit to the school.
- Theo Dickinson (Year 9) – Player of the Year
- Alfie Soulsby (Year 9) – Bowler of the Year
- Elise Norman (Year 9) – Most Improved Player of the Year These awards reflect their dedication, hard work and performances throughout the season.
Well done to all three students on their fantastic achievements.
Well done to all students mentioned this week. We are incredibly proud of your achievements and look forward to celebrating more sporting success in the weeks ahead.
We are always excited to learn of any sporting successes outside of school so we can celebrate the student’s achievements. Please email Mr Gregory with any information so we can share with everyone on Freddie’s Focus – gregoryi@flhs.wigan.sch.uk
Extra-Curricular Activities
School Reminders
As we settle back into the new half term, we hope our Year 10 and Year 11 students are beginning to develop good routines around using the KS4 Study Hub to support their learning and revision.
The Hub is packed with useful resources to help students revisit key knowledge, test their understanding and build confidence in their subjects. We would really encourage parents and carers to have a chat with their child about how they are using the Hub and remind them that even a little regular independent study can make a big difference.
Developing these positive study habits now will really help students as they progress through their GCSE courses.
As always, if students need any support accessing or using the Study Hub, they are very welcome to speak to Mrs Potter.
School Reminders
As we settle back into the new half term, we hope our Year 10 and Year 11 students are beginning to develop good routines around using the KS4 Study Hub to support their learning and revision.
The Hub is packed with useful resources to help students revisit key knowledge, test their understanding and build confidence in their subjects. We would really encourage parents and carers to have a chat with their child about how they are using the Hub and remind them that even a little regular independent study can make a big difference.
Developing these positive study habits now will really help students as they progress through their GCSE courses.
As always, if students need any support accessing or using the Study Hub, they are very welcome to speak to Mrs Potter.
Information for parents of SEND students
We’d like to signpost to parents a new PADLET that has been created by Wigan LA to make parents aware of specific services that are available to support neuro-diverse students.
https://padlet.com/Thrive_in_Wigan/neurodevelopmental-support-n944neepu5gjvosy
This is additional to the other Wigan PADLET which serves as a useful gateway to all the services that support children in the Wigan area. Both PADLETS are regularly updated so it is worthwhile frequently checking-in for current information and updates.
https://padlet.com/WiganCAMHS/wigan-mhst-info-board-nu69chp8ifamla8q
Embrace also offer a range of on-line courses to support parents. Details of these can be found here:
https://www.embracewiganandleigh.org.uk/behaviour-support-workshops/?cn-reloaded=1
The following link provides a useful gateway to all services that support children in the Wigan area. This page is regularly updated so it is worthwhile frequently checking-in for current information and updates.
https://padlet.com/WiganCAMHS/wigan-mhst-info-board-nu69chp8ifamla8q
We can also recommend this website as a source of useful information for the parents of neurodiverse children and teens.
What we do at Freddie's and why we do it
At Freddie’s we want our students to develop as excellent learners who ultimately achieve the very best from their time at school. Below are the FLHS BEST Standards.
We want there to be no learning time lost!
These standards are displayed in all classrooms and referred to as a constant reminder of the positive learning habits that we want all students to display:
‘Habits accelerate learning’
How to support your child to become an independent learner
At Freddie’s, there are six types of homework set in order to embed key knowledge and ensure that your child is equipped with independent learning skills.
Below are the types of homework that we set:
Our working memory can only hold a few pieces of information for up to 30 seconds until it is lost/forgotten. This is why we have to do something with that information to make sure it is not lost. Actively engaging with information and tasks which involve retrieval and repetition help information to stick.
Applications that we use for learning
The following applications are used by our students during their time at FLHS to aid their learning. You can learn more about them below.
Microsoft Office
Did you know that your child can access Microsoft Office at home for free? As a student at Fred Longworth High School, your child is allowed to download a fully working free copy of Microsoft Office 365 to use on their computer, smartphone and tablet whilst they are a student at our school. Click on the button below to learn more.
Satchel:One
Satchel:One is the school online learning platform for students and is the parental portal for all information related to your child’s overall progress within school. You can keep track of your child’s homework using Satchel:One. It is advisable to remind your child to get into the habit of checking their homework on Satchel:One regularly. Relying upon notifications is not the right approach and we advise students to turn off notifications so that they are not disturbed by them.
GCSEPod
GCSEPod is an online study platform and is the perfect resource to help your child learn, retain and recall all the information they need to achieve their GCSE goals. GCSEPod provides 3-5 minute bursts of audio-visual, teacher written learning which can help to reinforce and consolidate key GCSE topics covered in lessons. Experts read and explain everything clearly including all the right facts, quotes, keywords, dates and diagrams on screen. GCSEPod is only available to students in Year 10 and Year 11.
Homework Club
Please remind your child that homework club is available to all students Monday to Thursday where they can complete work in a quiet environment with staff on hand to support them, and computers for online quizzes and research.
Homework Intervention
If your child is not meeting deadlines or completing homework to the best of their ability, their teachers and/or Head of Year will refer them to our homework intervention group. Parents/ carers will receive a letter notifying you and to explain the night that your child will be required and for how long. This is a supportive intervention which is used to get students back on track with homework if they are struggling in this area.
Attendance
We want to do all we can to support your child to be in school every day and ask that you support this important message from home, encouraging your child to avoid missing curriculum content through absence. Here is a breakdown of the absences for the following attendance percentages:
Thank you for your continued support with attendance.
Please encourage your child to be in school every day.
Please ensure your child speaks to staff of any lessons where they miss work due to absence, this is to mitigate any impact of absence.
Can we please remind all our parents and carers to use the correct channels of communication should they wish to raise a concern or question. Your continued support is invaluable to us.
Belonging, Engaging, Succeeding Together.
Can we please remind all our parents and carers to use the correct channels of communication should they wish to raise a concern or question. Your continued support is invaluable to us.
